Piano Man
by MoonInDistress
Summary: When Nessie walk's into an old bar, she doesn't expect much. But what she discovers is an aged piano man, who soon tells the story of Edward and Bella, a journey in the middle of the 1950s. "Why don't you play me a memory, piano man?" OOC&Canon !HIATUS!
1. Prologue

**Full Summary: When Nessie walk's into an old bar, she doesn't expect much. But what she discovers is an aged piano man, who soon tells the story of Edward and Bella, a journey in the middle of the 1950s. "Why don't you play me a memory, piano man?"**

**Disclaimer: Any relationship between PM and the Twilight Series belongs to Stephenie Meyer, respectively. I don't own Twilight, or Edward, or Bella. However, I _do _own this plot line, and anything else that has nothing to do with Twilight, such as personalities, new characters, different settings, etc. I don't tolerate plagarisim. At all.**

* * *

_Sing us a song, you're the piano man_

_Sing us a song tonight_

_Well were all in the mood for a melody_

_And you've got us feeling alright_

_- Billy Joel 'Piano Man'_

_

* * *

_

August 15

_th__ 2005_

She walked down the street, gravel crunching under her feet and her hair taking the very brute of the pounding rain. Nessie sighed, and didn't bother taking out her cell phone to try for reception again. The rain would only damage the phone even more, and then she would be stranded.

"Damned weather prediction." Muttered Nessie, stuffing her hands into her pockets before walking faster towards the oncoming building. For once she had thought that wet, drowsy Forks would finally get some sun for the first time in weeks. Like always, she had been wrong.

_By the way there telling the weather these days, they may as well be rolling dice or playing poker to determine what to tell the public, _she thought.

A crack of thunder boomed, and a thin streak of bright lightning flashed in the distance.

"Bar, bar, bar…" hissed Nessie, breaking out into a run once it seemed that she wasn't getting any closer by walking.

_If I was in Seattle, I'd be able to call a cab and go straight home, _mentally screamed Nessie. _But instead I'm walking for forever just trying to find a single building, a single piece of civilization!_

Splashing through puddles and getting her blue jeans more soaked then they already were had not been what Nessie had intended, but she was too cold to even care at this point.

She threw the door open to the bar _Eclipse_ as hard as she could, banging it against the wall and still the anger still lingered in her hands. Breathing heavily and shaking from her wet clothes, Nessie strutted over to the U-shaped bar counter, pulled out a high black stool, and slumped into her chair.

Nessie closed her eyes for a moment, let out a deep breath, and opened her eyes to survey her surroundings.

The bar was dimly lit by possibly five light bulbs and a setting chandelier. It was reasonably spaced for a place as small as Forks. No strippers could be found here; the most entertainment that could be found would either be by playing card games in an open back room, watching the occasional drunk go psycho, or listening to the light piano music from the front. A lone, large and intimidating bartender with a pressed white shirt and black pants was washing the counter in front of her, and a few middle-aged men were sitting in a far table and chatting loudly. The air felt thick and warm, a comforting embrace from the outside. And, surprisingly, it didn't have the distinct odor of beer and wine. It smelled dimly of strawberries, mixed with a slicking honey scent.

Nessie averted her eyes to the bartender, and scanned his chest for a name tag, perhaps on a gold or bronze plate. There wasn't one, although she wondered why she expected a bar like this to live up to something like that. The bartender was eyeing her with interest, and she instantly looked away from the burly man.

"Ma'm," said the bartender carefully, as if he might scare her off. "Would you like a towel or something? You're soaked to the bone, although you're not the first to stumble in her looking like that. But you have been the nicest, not saying a word. I don't bite, but I tend to yap more then do my job." He smiled fully, one of his front teeth crooked and chipped as if he had been smashed in the face. Nessie realized that it reached his eyes, and instantly had trust and faith in this man. He seemed genuine, and unlikely to harm her.

"Yeah, a towel would be great." said Nessie appreciatively. "Thanks." He ducked under the counter, and before Nessie could even blink he had popped back up with a dark blue bath towel. He held it out to her, and she took it with a smile of gratitude. Wrapping it around her shivering shoulders, she asked the man for his name.

"Emmett at your services, Ma'm." he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. She laughed at his basic humor, and moved the towel to her legs.

"You say ma'm more than any average gentleman I've ever met, Emmett." She said jokingly. "Have you ever been to the south?"

"Nah, but I had a friend who was a true blood southerner man." He said with a shrug of her shoulders. "By the way, I quite like you calling me a gentleman." Nessie giggle once more, before truly taking in his kindness.

_Probably because of his age. The elderly are always more of a comfort to me then anyone else, _thought Nessie.

Thinning grey-light brown hair laid in patches on Emmett's head as if someone had partially shaved some of it off, but Nessie thought it suited him. Even when he wasn't smiling there always seemed to be dimples permanently etched onto his cheeks, putting a twinkle of humor into his large hazel eyes. Emmett's size surprised Nessie the most though. How could someone his age be so _big? _She instantly scolded herself for stereotyping him.

"Everyone deserves a good compliment to brighten there day," responded Nessie, before glancing at a nearby clock. Just past eleven o' clock. "Or night." Emmett chuckled and finished wiping down the counter.

"Sorry for chatting off again, but I just can't help it. Don't hesitate to stop me if I get completely off topic, okay?" said Emmett. Nessie nodded, and brushed down her arms. "Could I get you anything? You don't seem like the kind of person to waddle in her everyday, and I'm not even sure if you're of age, but I think I can let it slip just this once, ah…" Emmett looked at her for a name. She smiled at him.

"Nessie. And don't worry, I turned twenty two just a few months ago." She said reassuringly. "What do you have in stock?"

"Ah, well Old Man Denali has owned this place for years, but he's so out of it he doesn't even remember how to tie his own shoes, much les put in orders to order more booze." Said Emmett with an edge of sadness. "Poor fella. But what did you have in mind? I'm sure I could whip it up, or something close to it." Nessie hesitated, and thought about what to say.

"Well I usually have a Mojito, but I'm perfectly fine with just regular be—"

"Aha, a city girl!" cried Emmett, cutting Nessie off mid-word. "I knew it since the moment you walked in with those high black boots of yours. Fraid' we don't have any spearmint, so just mint will have to do. I'll be back with your drink in a sec, Nessie." Emmett whipped behind a room divider and out of her point of view so quickly—again—that he might as well have been a vampire. Nessie let out a small snigger at Emmett's succeeding efforts to impress her.

_He must have a wife around here somewhere… _she thought.

"Ah, is McCarty feeling you up?" came a velvety voice, causing Nessie to jump off her chair in surprise. Another old man stood in front of her with unruly white hair sticking up in every odd direction you could ever think of. His eyes were the most startling shade of green she had ever seen, and she had to look away to avoid the accusation of staring. Even for an aged man, he was handsomely built, and beautiful in an own man's way.

"Uh…no, no, not at all, sir. He was being perfectly… perfectly polite!" she stuttered. Nessie mentally scolded herself for not being able to speak properly. He let out a soft crooked, half smile and let out a smooth laugh that sounded like wind chimes.

"Of course not, Nessie." He said, sitting on a bar stool next to her. "I'm just teasing you."

"How do you know my name?" she said with a gasp.

"With Emmett's booming voice, it's hard not to hear him whenever he open's his pie hole. I'm pretty sure everyone in this whole place knows your name by now. It's an interesting name, though. Reminds me of…" he stopped mid-sentence, afraid of offending her. She smiled kindly at him in understanding.

"The _Loch Ness Monster_. None taken, by the way. You're not the first one to wonder about that. Nessie is just short for Nercissa; I never liked my full name." she explained swiftly, scrunching up her face in disgust when speaking of her real name.

_What parent's would name there child Nercissa? It sounds like a snake!_ Nessie thought with resentment. Many taunts on the play ground had made her reside from using her full name; she was shocked that she had decided to use it, especially in the presence of almost complete stranger.

Just then, Emmett returned with her Mojita. He spotted the man sitting next to Nessie, and rolled his eyes with a wide spreading grin.

"I see you've met the infamous Piano Man. Quite charming, isn't he?" said Emmett, elbowing him playfully before handing Nessie her drink. She took a sip of it, and lavished in its tingling taste.

"Trust me, you and him are one of the most kindhearted people I've ever met." Said Nessie genuinely and they both grinned back at her. "What are you doing here tonight, uh…Piano Man? I know Emmett's the bartender, and you don't seem to have a liking for poker."

"On the contrary, I usually play poker every night." Confirmed the Piano Man. Nessie mockingly laughed. Emmett rolled his eyes at there chivalry, before joining the conversation.

"He's the piano man of this place. Quite good, if I do say so myself." Said Emmett proudly, buffing out his chest.

"Of course, considering the name and all. I can't believe I didn't notice it before." said Nessie, wondering why she was acting like such an idiot, and glanced down at his hands. "Well you definitely have the long fingers for it. Would you mind playing a tune or two in it?"

"I don't really play anymore." said the Piano Man with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"You don't play anymore? Why not?" asked Nessie, before pinching herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy. Forgive me."

"Don't mind him." explained Emmett while the Piano Man played with around with his fingers and thumbs. "He only play's memories nowadays."

"Memories? What do you mean?" she asked with a spark of interest in her eyes.

"Well I mean, he used to play music all the time. Really got people's attention, you know? But one night he just stopped, and now that poor piano's been nurturing dust ever since. Occasionally he'll play when he thinks no one's listening, but most of the time he just tells stories. Well, he'll tell them to anyone who will actually _listen_."

"What sort of… memories?" asked Nessie, completely intrigued as she leaned forward in my seat. Emmett held up his hand's and shook his head.

"Not my story to tell, Nessie." said Emmett, still shaking his head.

"Nobody listens anyways." Said the Piano Man stiffly, breaking himself back into the conversation. She turned to him, and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'd like to listen. By all means, I'm not going anywhere. My cell phone's crap, and I've got no change for a pay phone." Said Nessie, turning to Emmett for a moment. "And that reminds me; you're going to have to write me a note. I'll have to pay you back for my Mojita later."

"It's on the house." Said Emmett, smiling. Nessie smiled back, clucked her tongue and wagged her finger.

"Now, now, Emmett. You know you're not supposed to throw away hard earned money. I insist." said Nessie, before looking once more at the Piano Man. "So what do you say? Why don't you play me a memory, piano man?"

"Well, if you're _that _interested…" said the Piano Man, flustered and embarrassed that Nessie actually took notice of his attempt to tell his stories. "Well, there's quite a good selection of stories that I could tell…"

"Oh please," huffed Emmett, slapping the Piano Man on the arm with a towel rag. "You've only got one story to tell. Get on with it, man! Hell knows were not getting any younger! I haven't heard this story in ages." The Piano Man smiled, and leaned back against the bar counter, closing his eyes to go deep in thought.

"Don't leave out any details!" said Nessie quickly, on the edge of her seat while waiting for him to begin. The Piano Man's smile grew, and he opened his eyes.

"I've told this story less then five times, and anyone who cared to listen was to drunk to remember it in the morning. It may not be important to you, but let me tell you Nessie, this is a journey, a memory, that you will want to replenish and savor. Don't ever forget it." said the Piano Man. Emmett rolled his eyes with a long grin, hid dimples so far down in his cheeks they could have been tiny holes, but still cute enough to pass.

"Why don't I take you back to the 1950s, and introduce you to two people know as Edward and Bella…"

* * *

**Get ready everybody, and enjoy your trip back to the 1950s...**


	2. Chapter One: Catalyst

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Yet, I do own this plot line, and anything else involved that is not Twilight. **

_

* * *

_

_And when I close my eyes tonight_

_To symphonies of blinding light_

_Like memories in cold decay_

_Transmissions echoing away_

_Far from the world of you and I_

_Where oceans bleed into the sky_

_- Linkin Park 'The Catalyst'_

* * *

Nothing could be compared to the 50s. It was a time of Marilyn Munroe, Elvis, and James Dean. Nowadays all you hear about are there tragic deaths, but back then, there was nothing to worry about. It was after World War II, and no one had to worry about surviving. Nobody cared about war, and nobody cared about how they were going to feed there children or keep a roof over there head. If a man had his car, his wife, his house, and his kids, well… that was pretty much all he needed in life.

_May 24__th__ 1951_

* * *

Edward Masen was walking up State Street, pondering his life as he saw it. Young gentleman, turning twenty one in a month to be exact, and still he didn't know what to do. Plenty of girls had fancied there way over to him, of course, but the mere thought of marriage shivered him to goose bumps and fear. The Loop was slowly ending its partying in his midst and yet as nightfall came the great Chicago lights only seemed to get brighter. Faint snow lay in patches on the grass, the vivid moon setting a good atmosphere and forcing Edward to pull his navy suit coat around him tighter. Even if the temperature was at a decent 65 F, it still felt cold to him.

He looked to his left, and saw a fading white taxi cab slowly trudging along. Edward stuck out his hand, and broke into a small jog to keep up with it. It pulled along to the side of the road, and Edward brought his face up to the glass window.

"Know where 63rd street is?" he asked. The man effortlessly rolled down the window, and corked his head to the side.

"I couldn't hear you through this damn glass. Whaddya say?" asked the taxi driver, looking more annoyed by the second.

"Do you know where 63rd street is?" repeated Edward.

"Who the hell doesn't?" said the man, gesturing to the back. "Get in. What's your number?" Edward opened the door to the back, and sat down. The seats were quite uncomfortable, made of cheap cotton and barely any stuffing. He'd have to see to it that he told the company later on.

"11667." He replied, slamming the door to the taxi cab so hard that it shook the whole car. The driver wheeled around to face Edward, and a look of recognition lit up his old eyes.

"Aha, you're a Masen. No wonder you look at the world like you do. Think you're better than the rest of us." said the driver, shaking his head before shooting off and joining Chicago's traffic. Edward chose to ignore that comment, and held out his cigarette.

"Do you mind?" asked Edward, his hand twitching to pull his lighter from his pocket.

"Put that filthy thing away. Don't you see the sign? No Smoking." Snapped the taxi cab. "Damned people are as ignorant as a herd of deer."

"Do your children hear you saying such 'profound' language, _sir_?" retorted Edward, clenching his teeth and trying very hard not to lose his temper. "By rest assured, with you as a father they must be saying all the color's of the rainbow by now."

"You keep your filthy trap shut, you—"

"Quite pitying for them isn't it?" he interrupted with a small smirk and a look of triumph of his face. The taxi driver put every fiber of willpower into his body to stop himself from slamming on the brake and demanding that Masen get his ass out of the cab. But Bettie would be on his back faster than he could twitch if she found out she had thrown someone out, thrown away good, hard earned money. And the last thing he needed was to be wifeless and kicked out of his own home. So the taxi driver gritted his teeth, and didn't speak another word.

Ten minutes later, the taxi cab pulled up to Skywalker Manor. Edward, bored, got out and paid the driver, no tip to be found. The driver skidded off, and Edward walked in his home. By the glance of a nearby clock, he realized that it was later than he had intended. With a shrug of his shoulders he lit up his cigarette and walked into the living room to greet his mother, who would surely be up waiting for him.

"Edward," she said, standing up as soon as his presence was noticed. "Where have you been?" He looked at her stiffly, and sighed. Even in the middle of the night she looked ready to jet away and off to a party. Her bronze hair, so much like his own, was short and all you could see was a full head of soft curls, too many bobby pins, and spray gel. Her green eyes, again mirroring his own, were coated with makeup, making them stand out almost more than necessary. Pale complexion, fine clothes… Elizabeth Masen was a character you did not want to mess with.

"Around." He said, and turned around to walk away, only to be stopped by Elizabeth's death grip on his arm.

"Around where?" she inquired, her gaze nearly burning holes in his skin. "Edward, I hope you haven't been with Felix again…" Her tone had a warning edge on it, but he knew better than to fall for her tricks.

"I was in the Loop, Mother." snapped Edward. "Stop patronizing me. You know very well that no one would attack me in public." Elizabeth released her grip on Edward, and folded her arms across her chest. Edward turned away from her, and took a long drag of his cigarette, and held it in his mouth. She scowled in annoyance, and plucked it from his fingers before quickly stubbing it out in a nearby ashtray.

"You know I don't like that." She said. He let out the smoke in his mouth, and blew it in her face.

"We'll talk tomorrow, Mother." said Edward, sauntering away from Elizabeth before she could stop him. "There's something I want to discuss with you and Father."

Edward walked up the winding staircase, opened his bedroom door, and fell asleep on his bed.

* * *

He woke up with the silhouettes of early morning sunlight blazing down on his eyelids. Groaning, Edward attempted to roll over and hide under the covers before deciding to get up. He had to be at the plant soon anyways, or so he told himself. He stretched his legs, and looked at the clock. Seven. His Father would be going to work soon, so he would have to make their conversation short.

Elizabeth was sitting at the dining table, breakfast already set out on the table. She raised her cup slowly to her lips, bent her head back and closed her eyes, and took a sip of her tea. Edward had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.

"Mother," he said, with a slight nod of his head. "Where is—"

"Edward," said his Father, entering the dining room so suddenly that it caused both Edward and Elizabeth to look at him with raised eyebrows. Edward Sr. sat in the chair directly across from Elizabeth, and gestured to a nearby seat. "Your Mother say's you want to talk. Have a seat." Edward could see the wheel's turning in his Father's head, and he wondered what he could be thinking at this particular moment.

_Why does he seem so eager to talk to me all of a sudden, _thought Edward. _He's never been so 'enthusiastic' towards me in his life._

"Edward before you begin, I believe I know what you are going to say." said Edward Sr. This time Edward's jaw dropped slightly, but not significantly enough for his parent's to glance his way. "Your Mother and I have been talking for quite some time now, and we've noticed your behavioral changes towards the world… to us." Edward Sr. and Elizabeth exchanged a quick look, and nodded. "We know you must be worried about courtship towards—"

"No," interrupted Edward, his jaw growing stiff and his teeth clenched once he realized where this was going. "These are not the old days, Father. I am going to marry who I choose, and who chooses me. This is _not _that I wanted to talk about." All of the sudden, Edward Sr. was sitting up straighter, and looking up at the clock with more and more impatient.

"Please continue then, Edward." Said Edward Sr. His foot tapped along with the rhythm of the now playing radio, and he pushed back his chair, getting ready to leave. "And please make it quick. I need to be heading off to the plant. I'm going to assume you're not coming, again, so I won't even ask." Edward Sr. gestured for Edward to get on it. Edward nodded, and cleared his throat with a distinct, low grumble.

"I've been meaning to talk to you two about what I want to do with my life for quite some time now," started Edward, playing with his thumbs once again. "And it's occurred to me only recently what I want to do before I settled down. I don't want to be rooted to one place so soon; not so early in my years when I can do so much more. Explore, travel, and see the world that I've barely had a chance to experience." Edward stopped, and took a small breath, impressed with his beginning of his speech to push his parent's over to his side.

"So what you are saying is that you want to travel?" asked Elizabeth, looking at Edward for some sign of confirmation. Edward nodded empathetically, and flashed a crooked smile at his Mother.

"Exactly," said Edward, relieved that he had finally gotten it off of his shoulders. "I've never left the country, much less the state of Illinois."

"And what would you do while out on this… trip of yours?" questioned Edward Sr. who was finally leaning in his seat with a spark of interest for his son's strange request. Edward shrugged, and pondered the thought for a moment. He came up with nothing.

"Do whatever I can find. Eat a hot dog, climb a mountain, fly a plane…" Edward hesitated, and pulled of a faux sheepish grin. "Maybe not so much on the last two, but that's what an adventure is like. You don't know what you are going to encounter. You don't think… you _do_."

Elizabeth and Edward Sr. were stunned at their son's wishes. They had planned to marry him off to a lovely city girl by the time he was twenty, and here he was on the brink of twenty-one with no plan's to settle down. Elizabeth found Edward's wished intriguing and interesting. Traveling! By a plane for the first time, because no one went by boat nowadays. Who would have thought of it? Meanwhile, Edward Sr. wondered where he had gone wrong when raising his beautiful, bronze haired boy.

"Edward," said Elizabeth, turning her full attention to Edward Sr. who was still thinking of the future. "I think it's a wonderful idea. Why not give the boy a chance to experience more? By god we've lavished everything else on him! It's time for him to try to see if he can handle himself without us over his shoulder." Edward tried not to snort at that last comment. If only his parent's knew what he did when they weren't looking, or when they went to a charity party. Of course, it was all done with the expense of their money, but what was theirs would eventually be Edward's anyways.

"Course, I would need to have the access to funds…" trailed of Edward, leaving his parent's to fill in the blanks. His Mother was looking at him with a small smile of happiness, and a touch of bewilderment.

_One down, one to go,_ thought Edward, looking over at his father with the look of a hopeful puppy when he saw a treat.

"How long will you be gone?" was Edward Sr's. final question. Edward breathed a sigh of relief, and answered quickly.

"Depends on how long I stay in one place. I might find one spot more interesting than the next and decide to stay longer. Who knows?" said Edward with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "The most I'll be gone is a year."

"A year?" sputtered his Father, pinching the bridge of his nose in bafflement and frustration.

"At the most," said Edward quickly, fearing that he was losing his parent's. "I'm sure I won't be gone that long. And I'll be able to contact you by letter or phone. Although with the ridiculous abomination of something called a _phone_, I'm sure..."

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait." said Nessie, interrupting the Piano Man mid-sentence. "Ridiculous _abomination_? When does this story take place again?" The Piano Man rolled his eyes at Nessie, and looked at Emmett with a defiant smirk.

"You're not the first one to say something like that," said Emmett, swatting Edward with a towel. "The Piano Man over here thinks that we should all go back to the days where we send messages by pigeon's and letters."

"It would save money, and would show how people truly care. How people would take the real time to wait for a loved one to send them a message." Said the Piano Man in defiance, narrowing his eyes at Emmett before looking back at Nessie. "And for your information, it take's place in 1951. Phones weren't as common as they are now, and calls were expensive and unnecessary. If they were close enough, you could talk to them in person. And if you were far away, then grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and give it a whirl."

"Give it a rest, man." said Emmett, hiding a laugh with a large cough. Nessie and the Piano Man knew better though. "She's an eighties person. Born in the eighties, played along with Mario, and yet bred in the twenty first century. Everyone's got 'a ridiculous abomination' of a phone nowadays. They've got cell phones too!"

"Can I get back to my story?" asked the Piano Man impatiently.

"Of course," said Nessie with an apologetically smile. "I'm sorry for interrupting. But you may find I do that a lot."

"You two," said the Piano man, fingering both Nessie and Emmett. "Are one and the same."

"Alright we don't have all night you know, and knowing the Piano Man, he's going to give you every last detail." said Emmett, waving the Piano Man to continue.

"True. Please continue." said Nessie, crossing her legs and getting comfortable in her seat.

"Right, right, right…" said the Piano Man, once again enthralling them with the wonders of the story…

* * *

"…you don't want to pay the hefty bills. Letter's should suffice."

"Think about where you would… supposedly, like to go first." Said Edward Sr. while standing up and pushing in his chair. "I've got to get off to work now. We'll discuss this matter more later on." Edward Sr. kissed Elizabeth on the cheek, nodded a goodbye to Edward, and left.

"You are serious about this trip of yours?" asked Elizabeth once she heard their car creek out of the driveway. Edward nodded slowly with a wide grin.

"Dead positive."

* * *

After his mother resided to going to one of her friend's house for talk, Edward left the house, Felix already outside waiting for him. Edward approached the Mercury 2 Door Coupe cautiously, a car so rare that not even Edward had ever seen it yet. Knowing Felix's Father, who worked in an industry that manufactured cars, they were sure to get every new vehicle first. He admired the car, and game a nod of approval to Felix before stepping in.

"A beauty, isn't she?" said Felix with a broad beam of his teeth. The old fool was turning red from the excitement of taking the car around for its first spin, hands twitching with anticipation and eyes darting back and forth from the rearview mirror and the windshield.

"She's a real eye for eye, you and her." agreed Edward. "Start her up, and let's get to the theatre before Dummy does." The two shared a look of knowing, and Felix stomped on the gas pedal, lurching them forward and on towards the Chicago Theatre.

Dummy was actually Demetri; a scrawny little boy with a nose to upright and a chin held too high. He lived in the suburbs of Chicago where he constantly walked down back alleys and creepy streets. Most said that he was a follower, sticking so close by to someone that he could be their shadow. Weird, and unnatural, or so everyone said. Dummy constantly knew where everyone was, even if someone said just their name, he would blurt out their location. This was, of course, because he couldn't stop pestering everyone about their business. Nowadays people knew better than to talk to him, or go near him, or even acknowledge his presence.

_Dimmy, dummy, who can't find his mummy…_

It was only mid morning, and still Chicago was as busy as ever. People were hustling off to work; a crowd of men with their fedora hat's walked in groups, and ladies walked their dogs along the streets with a stiff look on their face. Edward grinned as he looked at them, and thought _'This is how life really is. This is what it looks like when you look at civilization in the eyes._

The drive to the theatre took longer than necessary. The Loop was more active in the mornings then usual, and traffic was a scum to get through. They made it with five minutes to spare, and entered through a back door that had supposedly been bolted down. Felix and Edward, however, knew better.

Backstage was like its own little community. Makeup was towards the right where the dressing room was also located, and to the right was the lounge. Small, but significant enough that the performers really didn't care where they were as long as they were sitting down. This was, particularly, where Edward and Felix would regularly stay and bash.

One of the producers, Renate, spotted the pair instantly and gave them a stiff, curt nod. She didn't approve of their comings and goings, but because it made the entertainers so happy she managed to let it slip pass her eyes. Felix walked towards make up, where as Edward continued on towards the lounge. They would meet up in a while, but for now they had there own business to attend to.

Edward opened the doors of the lounge, and greeted its aroma gladly. The scent was like blue lilacs, rare and enchanting. Although after a while it would get thick and seem like a bother, Edward ignored that thought for now. It went well with the rest of the black interior and lightly painted walls. Cheery and happy after a long performance, easily supplied with a small fridge that was plugged in at the back and full of munchies and the occasional alcohol or two. It was only after he had finished looking around did he notice who was currently occupying the space with him.

"You're here again?" asked Lauren, her silver-grey fish eyes bearing hole's into Edward's skin. He shrugged innocently, and raised his eyebrows.

"When am I not?" he responded, casually taking a seat behind her and crossing his legs, trying not to look interest and slightly bored. Lauren, however, did not take his response well. She smacked him lightly on the arm, and scowled with a bare of her teeth.

"Yesterday!" she exclaimed, her teeth still gritted together so hard that it almost made her look like a piranha. Edward restrained his cough by covering his mouth with his hand and passing off a fake cough. "You said you would be here to greet me after my big show. And you missed it!" She pouted, and stuff out her lower lip.

"Sorry, dolly. I'll have to catch the next one, although I'm sure you were bashing out there."

"Did you even hear me? It was my big show, my big night! I wanted you to swing me over and—"

"You've probably already been lined up for another big act or two. Cool your engines, dolly. Your not exactly on cloud nine like usual." Said Edward with a wag of his finger. "I'm beginning to miss your tossing and smiling." Lauren swayed her head to the side to avoid rolling her eyes, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Take no harm or anything, but Tyler and I jacketed it up last night. You've cut the string, Edward. I can't take this anymore; It's time you found another nice" Once again, Edward cut her off.

"You and Crowley dating? How's your big daddy taking that news, dolly? Know your dating a black man?" asked Edward, putting his hands behind his head. Lauren's eyes grew wide in alarm, and her face turned purple and pink in rage.

"How… how dare you say such a racist thing!" she sputtered, stumbling over her words.

"Not racist; just saying what you're daddy's going to find out sooner or later. Everyone knows that you're supposed to be circled off to Chenley." pointed out Edward, lifting his lighter from his pocket and lighting a cigarette.

"Ben is happily dating Angela. And you know you're not supposed to smoke in here!" cried Lauren, her long nail's flashing with the color black as she clawed out to grab his cigarette. Edward easily dodged it out of her way and held it above her head.

"I'll keep yours if you keep mine…?" asked Edward, still ducking out of the way of Lauren's hands.

"You don't even have any secrets!" she flared, her eyes getting more narrow by the second.

"Everyone's got something to hide, dolly. I won't tell your big daddy that you jacketed it off with Crowley if you don't tell anyone that I'm smoking. Or even smoking at all." said Edward, sticking out his hand.

"That's not a _secret!_" she shouted, finally sitting still. "Everyone knows you smoke!"

"I made a deal with Renata. I'm supposed to quit to be allowed back here," he said with a wave of his hand. "It's not like I'm allowed to smoke back here anyways, but I'm sure you'll take care of that."

"This is blackmail." hissed Lauren, her body going stiff and upright in anger that she had lost yet another war. Edward laughed at her fury, and shrugged it off without another notice towards it.

"No, it's compromising, dolly. But if you don't want to take the deal, then I'm perfectly fine with tell—"

"_Fine!_" she screeched, getting up and stomping out of the room without a single glance back. Edward made a mental note to tell the costume designer's to fix her skirt; even he had limit's when it came to how short a skirt could be. Just then, Felix strode in right as Lauren was shutting the door behind her.

"She's certainly got some classy chassis, huh?" said Felix, sitting on the couch opposing to Edward and stretching out. Edward took a puff of his cigarette, blew out, and sighed.

"You got no idea."

* * *

After spending the entire day at the theatre, Felix dropped Edward off at his home around eight. His father was locked up in his office, never to be heard from again until morning came, and his mother was still out. He took this time to think more about where he wanted to go once he cruised off on to his trip around the world. Quickly he went into the library and retrieved a few old maps; a map of North America, the USA, and the world, of course. Edward walked back to his room, and spread out all three maps on the floor. His interests, for now, were more directed to the map of the USA. He wanted to experience the greater cities of the USA before embarking on the more cultural ones of the world.

Never paying attention in History or Geography, he was at lost for where he should even look. He had heard of Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York City, but could there be more cities out there? He bent forward, and hungrily scanned over the map.

Houston…

Phoenix…

Philadelphia…

Dallas…

San Francisco…

San Diego…

Detroit…

Boston…

Baltimore…

Nashville…

Washington…

Kansas City…

How was he expected to get to them all? There was so much to see, and so much to do! Which city would have the most interest in him? Which city would be the most appealing to his eyes? Which city would captivate his attention in such great lengths that he may never leave? Which city would hold the key to his pleasures and wants?

Edward could only come up with one name and one name only. It was the city of people, the city that never sleeps, and the city with wondrous enchantments…

The Statue of Liberty…

Central Park…

Brooklyn Bridge…

Pierpont Morgan Library…

Edward knew where he was going to go first. The Big Apple; New York City.

* * *

A full day after Edward had talked to his parent's last and yet he already knew where he was going first.

"You've decided?" asked Elizabeth, her eyes widening in astonishment.

_Is that a sign that she doubts my ability to actually correspond with my parents and listen once in a while?_

Edward nodded slowly, and put his hands behind his head. "There's always been chat about 'the greatest city in the world'. I'd like to go and see if all the rumors are true; get a kick out of it if there not, and enjoy a highly paid vacation if it is."

"I assume you are talking about New York City?" inquired Edward Sr. his face tightening the more and more his son spoke.

"Of course. Is there no better city in the world?" said Edward with a fake laugh following.

"Chicago could compete quite fine!" huffed Edward Sr. It was always an insult to him when people decided to pick down on his surroundings and interactions. Chicago was a fabulous city with everything they needed right around the corner; his thoughts were continuously swarmed around the idea of why Edward wanted to go at all.

"And you are sure that you want to make this… journey on your own?" said Elizabeth once more, before letting her husband take over the conversation.

"Positive," said Edward with a smile of appreciation towards his mother. "And if you are worried about the hooligan so-called dangers of New York, I can assure you that I won't be staying very long. There are other countries already calling, and New York will be just the beginning."

"When are you planning on leaving?"

"June 1st. I refuse to leave any later than that." Elizabeth and Edward Sr. exchanged a knowing glance, and sighed together as if they had synchronized it.

"Well, I guess there's no stopping you," said Edward Sr. stiffly, as if he had just lost a war. "You won't be able to celebrate your twenty first birthday with us when you're out of the city, you know." Edward laughed heartily at his Father's feebly attempt to draw him back to the realms of Chicago.

"I think letters will suffice. Are we all right?"

"It's done."

* * *

**Ah, and the first chapter begins and ends so suddenly.**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and put Piano Man on your alerts. Believe it or not, I check my email ten times a day and it always makes me smile when I see I have one from Fan Fiction.**

**Next update should be soon? A week? A week and a half? **


	3. Chapter Two: Brave New World

**Disclamer: Yeah, we all hate this part. I don't own Twilight.**

* * *

_All that's left in this brave new world,_

_Is ticking clocks and dancing girls,_

_And broken hearts to shut it all out._

_Take some time in life to see,_

_The point of view from on your knees._

_Electric hearts will play a song you've heard a thousand times,_

_A thousand times._

_- Hedley 'Brave New World'_

* * *

Edward sat in the seat of the plane, nervous at his arrival. The window beside him was beaming with sunlight, and he could already see the tall skyscrapers of New York.

The seat he sat on was rather padded and comfortable. Although there was only him and fifteen other passengers on the plane, Edward took in the lack of social comfort like an embrace. The loud whirl of the propellers was enough to distract him as he tried to count the whirls by minute. He found out quickly that it was nearly impossible. But with the short, but gradual hour and a half wait of the plane's landing, it was the only thing that kept Edward occupied.

A man that sat in the next aisle beside Edward looked at his watch impatiently, and tapped his foot with annoyance. Edward scowled at the man's edginess towards the plane ride; it was a luxury that not many could afford, and Edward was almost positive that this would be one of his many treasured plane rides, if not his only one.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a blonde flight attendant from the front. "We will be landing in just ten minutes. Please refrain from getting up or using the restroom, and make sure that your seatbelt is properly fastened over you. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your flight." Edward hid a smile with his hand at the tone of her voice; so robotic, and yet he understood that she must have said it dozen's of times. He ignored her for the rest of the trip, and lavished in the last few moments of his plane ride. He felt every bone in his body jump when they landed, and heard the ringing in his ears when the propellers died down. It wasn't long before he was climbing down a ladder with his luggage and small bags and got his first real look at New York City.

It was early evening, and the sun was just setting with the streetlights turning on to the faintest of a dim. Car's hurried up and down the long streets while people moved in between them and rushed to wherever they were needed. All Edward could do was stare in awe; this was nothing compared to Chicago! It was like the city never grew quiet, never shut down for a second! Constantly moving and never stopping… did these people ever actually return to their homes at the end of the day? It was a question that Edward had yet to find the answer to.

"Sir," said a tiny voice. "Are you alright?" Edward snapped his head quickly to the side, becoming defensive instantly. A petite girl stood before him, shoulders back and chin high with pride. She looked barely past thirteen, with black shadows circled under her eyes and her skin a sick, pasty color. Pity swelled in his heart at the sight of her, and he wondered where her parents were.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" inquired Edward, eager to get any information out of the child.

"You look a bit lost." She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She had already missed her opportunity and needed to keep the conversation short and quick.

"Just thinking about where to stay." He lied, instantly gripping his suitcases tighter as the little girl's gaze drifted over them.

"The Benjamin Hotel is over on East 50th Street. It's nice." She said, turning away from him with another look at the wallet in his pocket, before walking away.

"Miss," called Edward, walking quickly up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She spun around with fiery eyes at his persistence to talk to her, and scowled.

"What?" she snapped, all innocence fading away and replaced by flaming malice.

"Where are your parents? You shouldn't be wandering around alone." said Edward, his own eyes narrowing at her rudeness. She shoved her shoulder back to release the grip he had on her, and stomped off with one last word.

"Up." called the girl, disappearing around a nearby corner before Edward could respond. The realization hit him only too soon, and he shook his head with sympathy at the young girl's misfortune. He raised a hand towards the street, and hailed a cab to take him to The Benjamin Hotel.

* * *

Bella was standing in front of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre with at least four dozen other girls and boys. It was early in the morning, and the theatre hadn't opened up yet. In another five minutes, all of them would be rushing in to audition for the remake of the 1943 'Oklahoma!' musical production. She nervously bit her lip, and looked down at her small, black Mary Jane's.

_I knew I should have worn my Hush Puppies; of course everyone else is wearing them. I must look like such a fream, _thought Bella. That day she had chosen to wear a light blue pleated skirt with a white scoop neck blouse. To shield her from the cold, she had also brought her dark blue three quarter inch sleeve jacket that she had buttoned up. Makeup was never a necessity in her eyes, but because it was such an important day for her, she had decided to put on the smidges of mascara and light pink lipstick. Heaven forbid that she needed blush; she did enough of it on her own time. Almost all of the girl's near her had there hair cut short; it almost made her look ugly as Bella stood there with her long, wavy mahogany hair.

"Ladies, gentlemen," came a voice, and all of their heads instantly swerved to the front to see an elderly man holding open the door to the theatre. "The big audition, I'm assuming?" The small crowd ignored the man, and pushed past him to get inside. Bella fumbled with her footing as young adults pushed by her eagerly to get inside, eager to audition first and be compared to the ones that followed. A force on her side pushed her away, and she stumbled to the ground without another moment's hesitation. Embarrassed and cheeks red as tomatoes, Bella got up as fast as she could in heels and hurried inside.

"You alright, miss?" called the man that had held the door open as she quickly moved by.

"Fine!" she yelled back before tucking her hair behind her ears and entering the amphitheatre. Bella gasped at the sight, and raised a hand to her mouth. Dozens, hundreds of seats formed around the red thrust stage in a circular movement, the lights above shining almost as brightly as the city's own lights. High above the seats were large stained glass windows, with painted pictures of famous paintings. She could only recognize a few of them, and it was those that captured her attention the most…

'_Irises'_ by Van Gogh…

'_Starry Night' _by Van Gogh…

'_Girl with a Pearl Earring' _by Jan Vermeer…

'_The Lady of Shallot' _by John William Waterhouse…

And so much more than she could have imagined. She pondered the thought on who could have stained the windows. To get such great detail, such close similarities to the replica… it was extraordinary.

"Alright!" came a loud voice. In the middle of the stage with his hands on his hips stood a man with short black hair, and grey bleak eyes that looked too sunk in to be natural. He stood tall in his black shiny dress shoes, looking at all of them like they were rabid dogs. His nose wrinkled up as if one of them smelled, and he clasped his hands together in a cold, welcoming gesture. "I am _delighted _to see all of you young folks so _eager _to try out for 'Oklahoma!'" Some were already giving the man warm smiles and cheery waves, motions that were clearly made to kiss his ass. Others were not so welcoming and were tapping their feet impatiently and narrowing their eyes with a look that said 'get on with it'. Meanwhile, Bella just stood there with a nervous look on her face and her head down. First audition, first time jitters, and first time for being clueless. It was all to be expected of course, but she couldn't help but feel mortified.

"My name is Aro Volturi. I will not respond by simply _Aro_. You may all call me Mr. Volturi." He said, his eyes searching them all warily for any signs of distress at his cool demeanor. Bella's nose twitched as her memory screamed at her, claiming to have seen that name before somewhere. "I am going to be your director."

Bingo. And with the first hit of realization on who he was, Bella's heart sunk.

_This better just be an act for today, because I am not playing to abide to this guy's attitude the entire time…_thought Bella with anger, her tiny fists clenching at her sides.

"Girl's to the right, boys to the left. You will tell me and two others your preferred part, sing a part of a song from the play, read a few lines, and then leave. Posting's will be up tomorrow and if you don't make it, well," said Aro, a small smile turning his lips up. "There's always backstage work that needs to be done for the thrown rookies." Bella mentally shuddered at the thought. It was always considered a disgrace to be demoted down to work behind the curtain.

The group quickly filed into two lines, all of them going over their lines mentally and practicing their high notes. It was quite obvious that every girl was there for the part of Laurey, the lead. Bella had a hunch that most of the girl's would be singing the number one song from the play 'Oh, What A Beautiful Morning' but Bella had rehearsed 'Many A New Day' so many times that it was too late to change her mind now.

"Name?" barked Aro, sitting in one of the front row theatre seats with two other people. One looked like a tall, blonde man whose hair was greased to its absolute limit, and wore a faded black jacket. _Greaser. _The highest and the lowest of society. Beside him was another tall person, this time a woman with fiery long red hair that matched her green, cat like eyes. Her hair was so curly, and so untamed, it was a wonder how she walked down the street without a single comment. Makeup scorched every inch of her face, the white color of a shade of blush parching her skin to a color of snow.

"Anita, sir." squeaked the girl that had moved to the center of the stage. Aro raised an eyebrow and the girl with red hair sighed in boredom.

"_Mr. Volturi_." said Aro through clenched teeth, gripping his pencil tightly to avoid an outburst. The young girl's eyes filled with shiny tears, but she quickly blinked them away to evade any signs of weakness.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly, and started to audition.

To say that she was terrible would be an underestimate. But Bella couldn't help but feel bad for the poor girl that had burst into tears as soon as Aro cruelly rejected her.

The men and the women moved forward quicker than Bella could count. She was at the end of the line, and had expected it to be a long wait. An hour passed, only it felt like mere minutes to Bella.

"Next," called Aro, looking down at his notes with a frown. It took only a second before Bella realized that there was no one in front of her and that it was her turn. Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way up to the stage and took a front and center position, directly facing the three of them. Aro wasn't looking at her, whereas the blonde man was observing her with curious eyes as if he had never seen someone like her before… and the redhead just tapped her fingers and looked at the watch on her wrist.

"Name?" asked Aro, finally meeting her eyes. His ice eyes seemed to look right through her, but Bella didn't let his first impression get her down.

"Bella Swan." She said, swallowing the lump that had formed in her front.

"Middle name?" asked Aro again, causing Bella to look at him with questions in her eyes. He hadn't asked anyone else for their middle name… why her?

"Uh, Marie… Mr. Volturi." Responded Bella, being sure to address him in the correct way.

"Bella Marie," he murmured, writing it down before him. "Go on. You're the last one and we don't have all day."

"Okay," said Bella, pulling back her shoulders and looking around into the theatre seats as if there really were people there. As if hundreds of men and women had come to see her sing, dance, and act. "This is 'Many A New Day'."

_C'mon Bella, pull it together…_she thought, and began to sing.

'_Many a new face will please my eye  
Many a new love will find me  
Never have I once looked back to sigh  
Over the romance behind me  
Many a new day will dawn before I do!  
Many a like lad may kiss and fly  
A kiss gone by is bygone.  
Never have I asked an August sky  
"Where has last July gone?"  
Never have I wandered through the rye  
Wondering "where has some guy gone?"  
Many a new day will dawn before I do'_

She finished with a quick inhale of breath, and read the passage she had chosen quickly and thoroughly, pouring her heart out into it.

Not a word was spoken for a moment, and for that split second, Bella wondered if she had failed.

"Very good, Bella." said the redhead, speaking for the first time out of the whole day. "The postings will be up tomorrow at the crack of dawn. You may go now." Stunned and hurt at how brief she had been, Bella walked out of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre with her head hung low in disappointment, and wondered if coming to New York City in the first place had been a mistake. She walked down 65th West Street, and pondered her life now, and her life in the past.

_

* * *

_

November 26

_th__ 1950_

_They were moving again. Bella had lost count by now at how many times they had loaded up their 1940 Ford Pickup, but she was almost positive that her and her mother, Renee, could do the routine in their sleep. Dayton, Ohio was where they were passing through as of now; they were moving across the country to a small town named Forks, a place where it rained more than it shined._

"_Charlie, are your knickers in a knot?" Renee had yelled. "Your absolutely kooky to think that were driving all the way across the country!" Like always though, her father had raised his hand, and Renee had shut up quickly. Now they were moving through a blizzard that was blinding the windshield so much, it was almost impossible to see. The tires were trudging along slowly, trying desperately to push past the blankets of snow that heavily covered the roads like a barricade to stop them from leaving._

_Ohio had been nice. The town of Massillon had taken the Swan's in with open arms, teaching them there love of football and blue pies. Renee had joined a book club; Bella was going to go on a date and Charlie was part of every fishing trip there was._

_And then on November 25__th__, Renee and Bella had come home to find the suitcases out, the pickup half loaded, and Charlie with a grim look on his face. They had both even tried to stall time, saying that it was impossible to go out in the blizzard that had shut down the whole state. _

"_Not a time good enough, then. No one will be out on the roads." Said Charlie gruffly, his mustache twitching in annoyance at there pleas of desperation._

"_We won't be able to get on the roads." muttered Renee countless times, wringing her hands together and cracking her knuckles; a habit that Bella was disgusted by and would turn her head at._

_Now there they were, on the road, barely making it through while Charlie and Renee argued with Bella squashed in the middle of them._

"_I told you this was a bad idea!" shrieked Rene, her hazel eyes wild with insanity as she furiously leaned across Bella's lap and pounding Charlie on the arm with her fists. "We'll never get there without getting stuck!"_

"_Shut up!" said Charlie, trying to keep his eyes on the road and ignore Renee's fruitless moves. The more his wife screamed, the more his knuckles turned white and his teeth clenched together._

"_Dad," said Bella weakly, fear racing through her veins as she spoke. "Maybe she's right. We can't see a thing..."_

"_I. KNOW. WHAT. I. AM. DOING." screamed Charlie, the veins in his head pulsing with rage as he turned a sharp corner recklessly, sliding among the roads with no control._

"_Charlie, look out!" shouted Renee, both her hands reaching out to point the red flash of a bulldozer's presence, only twenty meters away. _

"_Dad, TURN!" cried Bella, ripping her seatbelt off and leaping out of her own seat to grab the wheel. Her nails accidentally swiped Charlie's cheek as her hands came in contact with the wheel, desperately trying to control the tire's movements._

"_Get down!" howled Charlie, pushing his daughter to the ground and trying to hit the brake, only to find out that it was locked. Bella banged her head against the dashboard, and fell to the floor, the darkness seeping into her slowly and painfully._

_The last thing she could recall was a heavy impact, her body flying into the air and impacting with the top of the truck, and the strong windshields glass cutting into her hand._

_But the thing she would never forget was her mother's cries of rage and pain as life slowly left her._

_

* * *

_

The Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 was an extraordinarily large extra tropical cyclone that greatly affected Ohio and surrounding states. It caused significant winds, heavy rains, and major blizzard storms.

They had buried Renee in Dayton, although Bella knew her mother always wanted to be buried in her home state, Arizona. Bella got off with a crescent shaped scar on her left wrist, a result from the glass of the windshield, while her father's nose had been broken, permanently bending it to the right along with complete blindness in his right eye from the glass and shattering impact.

Bella sighed, and scratched her cheek. Charlie was still in Forks, happily working as a police officer and still enjoying local fishing trips. It had cost him nearly all his money to send his daughter to New York City, but he would have done anything to get her away from him. With Renee gone, there was no reason to keep Bella around him anymore. Without a son, all hopes of caring for a child had been flushed away instantly.

Now here she was, living the dream of the shooting star she hoped she soon would become. Oklahoma! was a major play to be in, and even if she didn't get the part of Laurey (Although she sincerely hoped she did) all would not be lost. First audition… not everyone can hit the first pitch.

But that was just her angel talking. Her devil said every nasty, brutal, and unnecessary comment she could come up with. She _deserved _the part; she was _made _for the part. Damn them all to hell if anyone else didn't see it.

A taxi cab sat straight ahead, waiting for someone to jump in and sail off. Bella smiled in relief, and her shoulder's instantly relaxed. At least now she wouldn't be wandering around the city, looking for a ride. And perhaps she could take just one cab in the whole time she was here? All the other time's she had taken the subway, but the noise of the train rattling on the tracks was too much for her to go through, even for just five minutes.

"142 West 49th Street, please." said Bella, smiling at the cab driver who nodded at her, and trudged along the streets. The silence was awkward but comfortable, probably the way it mostly was with every customer, or so Bella hoped. The urge to start a conversation nagged at her, but she shushed it away quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was set the impression that she was a big mouth.

The roads were slightly busy; nothing out of the ordinary for New York. It was early morning, and not many tended to run down these streets to rush on to work. The buildings around her were brown, black, and silver, the most traditional colors of the city. They towered and screamed towards the sky, giving the creepy appearance of elusive and distant. It was only when Bella looked down at her hands that the cab screeched to a halt, throwing Bella forward against her seatbelt. I put pressure on her throat, and for a split moment, she thought it would strangle her. The car clipped the corner of something that Bella couldn't see, and the blood in her head boiled with fear. What if they had hit a building? What if they had hit a person? The cab finally stopped, and the seatbelt relaxed against Bella.

"Dear god, man!" yelled the taxi driver, his face red and purple with rage. "Watch what your doing!" Bella fumbled with her seatbelt, and quickly pushed the button to release her from its captivity.

"What's going on? What did you do? What did you _hit_?" she cried, leaping out of the car and rushing to the front. There in front of her stood a man that she had never seen before, and yet she felt that she had known him from somewhere else. His hair was brown and tousled, sticking out even from under his grey hat. He was a few inches over six feet, and looked complete of muscle and strength. From his full lips was a cigarette that he casually puffed on as if nothing had happened. Smartly dress, a small smile, and eyes the shade of a green that Bella didn't know existed… this man was truly exquisite, and unique.

"By god, are you alright?" she asked; worry lines etched onto the corners of her milky brown eyes. Edward's gaze took her in, and he dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it to put it out.

"'Course, dolly." said Edward, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as Bella's face turned an angry red at the word 'dolly'.

"My name is not dolly." seethed Bella, the hatred for that nickname showing in and out. Edward shrugged casually, and leaned against a lamppost.

"Well, considering I don't _know _your name, I don't really have anything else to call you, now do I?" he responded, the grin on his face stretching full and proud.

_How can his teeth be so white and straight? It looks absurd and completely impossible… _thought Bella.

"I—I'm not going to tell my name to a complete stranger!" she said, mentally slapping herself for letting this man get to her so quickly.

"Strangers are the people that you see across the street and that you share quick looks with. People like us, on the other hand, are new acquaintances. For instance, my name is Edward. It's nice to meet you…?" He looked at her for a name, and Bella shook her head furiously in response. She crossed her arms across her chest, and stared him down.

"I only came over here to see if you were alright, and it seems that you are." She said, a strand of her hair falling from her ears and hanging casually at its side. "Although I must say that it takes someone with extreme idiocy to walk right into the path of an oncoming car. Are you blind?"

"Yes." He said solemnly, the smile from his face gone and replaced with a look of longing and sadness. Bella's arms dropped, and she raised a hand to her mouth in horror at what she had said.

"Oh my god, I'm—I am so, so sorry Edward, I didn't mean—"

"I am joking, dolly." He said, chuckling at how easily she had fallen for one of his tricks. "Sarcasm is a wonderful thing."

"An annoying thing is more genuine to its description." retorted Bella, her hands going to her hips in annoyance. "And how you dare say such an insolence thing! That's an insult to—to the community of the legally blind!"

"Relax, I'm playing around with you." said Edward, still grinning, and still looking totally at ease. Bella could almost feel the steam come out of her ears in anger, but before she could say another word, someone else spoke.

"Miss, are you going to get your butt back here so I can take you to your destination, or are you going to get another cab?" yelled the man, the rage from his face gone and replaced with ticking irritation. She spun on her heel, leaving Edward in the dust of her sudden exit.

"Hope to see you again, dolly!" he cried, waving goodbye slightly with his hand.

"I hope not!" yelled Bella back, relieved to finally be freed of the man who had caused her the most aggravation and anger she had felt since she had come to New York.

"Sorry about that." She muttered, all thoughts gone towards Edward and instantly left in the past. "Do you still remember where to go?" He rolled his eyes, and sped off without a single reply.

They came onto 49th street soon enough, and Bella quickly paid the taxi driver with one last fleeting look at her one and only drive in a taxi, despite how miserable it had been at one point.

In front of her stood a grubby looking apartment building that, yet having only been built for just over ten years, looked centuries old. It had the look of something ancient and old fashioned, with dirt pillars that ran along the sides. The front door was a fading black and slightly crooked, easy for a break in and a reason why Bella hadn't chosen the first floor. All the windows showed the same thing; a dark grey curtain that masked the entire view of the inside. It was a bought out place where tenants could rent an apartment for five dollars a month. It was in a slightly good neighborhood, Bella had a tough, strong lock on her door, and the rent could be paid with the steady job that Bella held at a nearby coffee café.

She grabbed the bronze key from her pocket, stuck it in the lock, and was welcomed home by the old, dusty smell of mould.

* * *

**First of all, although the Vivian Beaumont theatre actually wasn't constructed until the 1960s, I kinda pushed the date of its construction a bit back in time. It only plays a very, very, little part in the story anyways, but I just had to clear that up.**

**Second, I am trying to keep things to the facts here (besides the VBT). Ex, there was a storm of 1950 called the Great Applachian Storm of November, and there was a play production of Oklahoma! in 1951. I have never been to Chicago, Seattle, Forks, or NYC. I am just taking guesses, looking at pictures, and doing ALOT of research.**

**Third, I'm really sorry for the long wait. I actually had three quarters of it written but I had to help with the planning of this wedding, I went on a mini vacation to one of the lakes, and I've been sick. Forgive me?**

**And also, thank you to all those that have favorited and reviewed, alerted, etc. It means the world to me! Your all awesome :)**


	4. Chapter Three: Glitter in the Air

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. _**

****

_

* * *

_

_It's only half past the point of no return,_

_ The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn._

_The thunder before the lightning, the breath before the phrase. _

_ Have you ever felt this way?_

_Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?_

_ Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone._

_Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?_

_ Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?_

_ - Pink 'Glitter in the Air'_

* * *

Bella dug her shoulder into the door again, groaning when it didn't move a muscle. Her key was stuck in the door, and she had heard the click of the lock opening up. But it appeared to have plans of its own…

With one last hard shove, Bella grunted, pulled back her body, and pushed with all her little one hundred and fifteen pound body could muster. The door flew open, and so did Bella. She hit the ground hard as the door banged her slightly on her arm from rebounding off of the wall.

"Ridiculous," she seethed, pushing up off the ground and instantly kicking off her Mary Jane's, feet crying with pleasure at the relief that the aching pain was gone.

The small apartment was a living room, a stove, a bed in the far corner, and a small bathroom to the right. The living room had a blue, faded cotton couch that Bella had got from the Salvation Army and an old, chipping wooden table to eat on. Next to the table was her endless pile of books that she liked to read in the middle of the night. The blue couch didn't go well with the grey, dull carpet and the pasty white walls. If anything, it made the place seem like a deserted grave site that needed emergency renovations. The stove had come with the apartment, a fact that Bella was thankful for, and a pile of dishes stood next to it. With no kitchen sink, or barely a kitchen at all, she had to use the bathroom sink to wash her dishes. In the bathroom was a white toilet that often got clogged and overflowed, a sink where half the time the taps didn't work, and a small shower that was the only good thing about her apartment.

Bella sighed, and threw her coat onto her bed. White pieces of paper littered the couch, almost passing off as ridiculous looking snowflakes. She longed for the arrival of winter, even though it was so many months away. To feel the snow between your toes, the snowflakes gracefully falling on your face, and the outstretched sense your arms and legs had when you were making a snow angel… it was her favorite season, and the more it rained and the sun shined, the more Bella knew it would be forever before she saw snow on the ground.

She walked over to the couch, sat down, and looked at the letters. All written to her mother, although Bella knew that they could never be addressed. She had yet to find a mailman that could deliver to heaven. The letter's were more of her diary than actual messages, but it was a small fake comfort she often felt; to think and feel that her mother might actually read and hear about the things Bella might be achieving was a warm and gooey feeling. The clouds of disappointment would always come later on, of course, but it was nice to have that feeling of sunshine in your gut for even the smallest of moments.

Bella pulled a piece of paper from the pile beside the couch, clicked her pen, and began to write.

_Dear Mom, _

_It feels wrong writing to you in the middle of this apartment; I still can't get used to the feeling of not having Dad over my shoulder and wondering what I'm doing._

_I had a dream about him a few days ago. Did you know he's actually gotten better at fishing? Before I left he caught the biggest whopper I've ever seen in my life! Surprisingly enough though, my dream wasn't about him yelling; it was about him fishing! He was in the middle of the lake, floating on a piece of wood, looking like the biggest fream every in his over sized hat…_

_But the kookiest thing occurred right then and there… I was the fish! And he was reeling me back to him, yelling my name and saying he needed someone to cook for him and care for him when he's sick…Most dreams these day's don't make the fickle of sense, but I'm trying Mom, I really am. _

_Sometimes it feels like I've been sleeping on cloud nine for the longest time and suddenly I've woken up… and I'm here. In the greatest city of the world. The Apple!_

_Maybe not the greatest city in the world, but the biggest and flashiest one of all America. _

_Today I went to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre and auditioned for an upcoming Broadway production, Oklahoma! You may have heard of it; it was a big show in 1943. Almost every girl there wants the part of Laurey; does it make any sense that I have a small longing and a bit of hope to get the part? The lead? I can still picture the two of us in our attic in Ohio, with the old trunks spilling out with costumes and us laughing with old, old makeup on. Do you remember when you played the damsel in distress, and I was the queen with not a care in the world? Or the other time we were on the Titanic and sinking, pleading for life itself and mercy from God? I wish you were standing right beside me, right at this moment so we could reenact some of our favorite plays. _

_Oh! I rode in a taxi cab for the first time in my life! Although rode probably isn't the best word to pick; it was more like I sat in the backseat with the driver in the front, not a care in the world at what I was doing as long as he could get paid. The glimpses and second minute snaps I got were extraordinary! The sky scrapers are so tall it's a miracle we can even see the sky! And there's always someone looking at you, someone wondering what you are thinking and where you are going… Its intriguing to hear snatches of conversations and to play on from there, wondering if that girl will really run away from her circled man, or if Judy really is pregnant, or even if Andrew did steal his brothers tie! The lives and lies people live on and feed off of is something I've never seen before… and yet, it's something that fits into the society of New York. Just the dominance of the buildings and the arrogance of a young man I just met is enough for me to give bad reviews to the people of New York._

_I mean really, Mom, he walked right in front of us! If the taxi cab had been puffing on his cigarette or looking out the window at a unique bird, that man would have been flat as a tire when it's been stabbed! And then the haughtiness of him when he didn't even have the dignity to apology to the taxi man! The name Edward is one I don't wish to be acquainted with again, I can assure you…_

_But other than that disturbing encounter, all is going well. Of course it's still just the morning and I still have other plans to attend to throughout the day and any thing could happen, I thought I would write now to let you know I am okay and that you shouldn't worry about me. Although I'm aiming for the stars and anything beyond that, I'm not getting my hopes up to high, and it's really about the experience and not the benefits... although the benefits are always a nice little touch and keep._

_I still have my ring, and although I went out today without it on, I promise you it won't happen again. _

_I miss you more and more every day, and I love you more than every inch of my being._

_Isabella_

She lifted the pen from the page, and sighed. There was no feeling of bliss this time; no wonders of hope skyrocketing towards the sky. Bella had written the letter with a heavy heart, her fingers barely sketching themselves across the page. She had the momentum of the world, and yet Bella could barely bring herself to write to the person she loved more than anything.

Bella sighed, and shoved the letter away from herself.

* * *

Edward was walking around the city. It was so much more alive than Chicago, so much more adventurous and crazy. Not a single person looked over at him, all of them hurrying off to where they had to be. The social society seemed so fragile as if it could snap with one single promise broken. He didn't know where he was going, or how he was going to get there; Edward was simply taking life on an edge, jumping off the cliff and into the frenzy of the waves with a beaming smile, and a heart full of expectations and dreams.

Right before him stood the Empire State Building, the tallest man made structure in the world. It had only been four years ago when a young Evelyn McHale had leapt to her death from the 86th floor, and left the heart breaking suicide note that had left the city in a media frenzy. Ever since then, the building had become a tourist spot for families and photographers who would climb to the tallest floor and get a picture of the city's skyline.

Edward walked inside, and looked around. The atmosphere was warm and soothing, much better than the cool winds of spring outside. The floor was tiled with a glossy grey and black cover that made the place appear spotless. The walls were tall and mighty, the architect of the building appearing old fashioned and ancient, with the colors of dark peach and brown making the place look only more fascinating. Two American flags were on the walls, one on the east side of the lobby and one on the west. Directly twenty feet in front of Edward was the front desk, a stone masterpiece that was the pure epitome of money. Behind the desk was a painting so grand and large, Edward gasped at the sight of it. It was a picture of the Empire State Building with it soaring to t he sky, the bright colors of the sun perfectly at the top and the words EMPIRE STATE down below. A small plate of bronze in the bottom left corner gave the tourist some information about the building, and a beautiful clock with pointed ends was in the middle right. People mingled all around, and the occasional security guard would look over the area before going back into a corner where almost no one could see him…

* * *

"The Empire State Building isn't the tallest man made structure in the world." said Nessie, pointing out the non-logical fact of the Piano Man's story.

"This story didn't take place yesterday, Nessie." said the Piano Man impatiently. "It took part over fifty years ago. In 1951, it _was _the tallest man made structure in the world until 1954. It remained the tallest structure in all of New York City until the World Trade Center was built. But as we all know—"

"September Eleventh happened, and the World Trade Center collapsed." said Nessie with a nod of her head. "And so the Empire State Building remains the tallest structure in all of New York City, and is still a symbol of America."

"Indeed." said the Piano Man, agreeing with Nessie instantly. "Now I know you must have questions, but it would be nice if you could give me some warning before interrupting me in the middle of my sentence."

"Sorry," said Nessie sheepishly. "Please continue."

* * *

Edward walked up to the main desk where a red haired woman looked up, and smiled at him.

"Welcome to the Empire State Building!" she said all too cheerily. "How can I help you?" Edward could barely hold in his snicker as he tried not to laugh at her over-fake excitement.

"I'd like a pass for the—" Edward stopped mid-sentence, and instantly changed his mind. "On second thought, never mind. Have a nice morning."

"You too, sir." said the woman already moving on to the person behind Edward.

_Interesting, _thought Edward.

Edward had suddenly realized that he didn't want to see the skyline of New York City more than he had seen it all the while he had been walking. What he really wanted to see was the little spite fire of a woman he had met just mere hours ago.

"_Spite fire." _

_

* * *

_

**The Empire State Building was the tallest man made structure in the world back in 1951. And that suicide really did happen, unfortunately. **

**I've been lacking in updates, and I'm really sorry for that. However, the reviews make me smile and continue to persuade me to write. Thank you!**

**I hope everyone had a great Halloween!**


	5. Author's Note

February 2nd 2013

As you all can tell, I have not been active in the Twilight fanfiction world for quite some time. I felt bad that I left you all hanging with this story, so I have decided to post this little note to inform you all. I will not be completing Piano Man, nor will I be starting any other story. I am done with this account and with writing Twilight fanfiction. If there is someone that would like to pick up this story and continue writing, please feel free too.

Hope you all understand.


End file.
